Come Home to Me
by MidnightIndigo
Summary: Neither of them can help getting sucked into their work.  Neither of them can help trying to please everybody.  But right now, it's not working.  Maybe they should start by trying to please the people who matter the most.


**A/N: Little one-shot set in the Sweet Dreams universe, about five years in the future. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Castle. **

She hated when he had a book coming out. The following months were bound to include book tours that ook him away for weeks at a time and she couldn't come, because she had a case that she couldn't let go. Those were the times when Anna would run around the precinct in the afternoons, or fall asleep in her chair, and she'd have to use his. She'd be there all night and be too tired to take her to preschool in the morning, so Ryan or Esposito would volunteer to help out and drive her. Kate would sleep for a few hours in the break room, go home to change, get some food, grab a change of clothes, then pick her up and go back to the precinct. Those were the times when Montgomery would force her to take off a day or two, because she'd piled up so much unused vacation time. Sometimes she and Anna would fly to wherever he was and spend a day with him.

Late at night, while he was gone, whether she was at the precinct or at home, when no one was around, she would let the walls she kept up all day fall and she would cry to herself as she stared for hours at the murder board. Sometimes Anna, who could be up at any hours of the night without anyone batting an eye, would watch her from the stairwell, completely solemn, which was abnormal for Anna—two of her best personality traits were outgoing and energetic. When Kate noticed she would wipe her eyes quickly and smile at her, and Anna would know that she could run downstairs and climb into her mother's lap. Kate would hug her tightly, and Anna would kiss her and snuggle into her. Kate knew she wanted to ask where Daddy was but the girl never spoke, never let on that she was hurting too. Kate wondered if this was her traits coming out in Anna. She knew that she cut people off a lot. Rick was one of the few people who could get her to completely open up.

Sometimes Anna, smart as she was, would call Alexis when Kate wasn't in the room, asking her to come over because Mommy was sad.

And, whether it was day or night she would come, walk through that door, or stride into the precinct without warning and hug Kate, asking what was wrong. And Kate never had to ask how she knew. It was an unfortunate legacy of the Castle children that they ended up worrying more about their parent than their parents had to worry about them, whether it be comfort or keeping them out of trouble. At least, Alexis thought, Anna wouldn't have to raise her father. Now he had Kate to keep him in line. When he was home, anyways.

This time he was on tour for two weeks, then two days at home, then another two weeks on the West Coast. After a week and a half she wanted him home. She was spending every night at the precinct, throwing herself into the case and missing him by her side every time she stepped into the interrogation room. Alexis had started staying over even though she had classes down at school the next day just so Anna could sleep in her own bed. As she watched the toddler sleep, Alexis shook her head. She knew Anna's parents loved her, but what could they do? They both put so much of themselves into their work, and they couldn't help it; it was so natural to them. Alexis pulled out her phone, closing the bedroom door as she left.

"Hey, Dad. You need to get home. When's your last stop?" She listened, pursing her lips. "No, Dad. You can't be away that long, she's freaking out as it is! I don't care what Gina says, she's not your wife—anymore—Kate is—" She paused t consider that, and sighed, "Dad, you have a really messed up life." She supported herself on the doorway with her hand. "I'm sorry, but would you rather disappoint your fans, or your wife and three-year-old daughter?" He answered sheepishly. "I love you too, Dad. Try to get home, please. Bye."

The moment she hit END CALL the phone rang once again. "Hey, Captain. Yeah, I'll make her go home. I'm here with Anna at the moment, I'll be right over."

She walked back into Anna's room and scooped her up gently. The girl barely stirred, dropping her head onto Alexis' shoulder. "Come on, beautiful," she whispered. "Let's go get Mommy."

Alexis knew the guard in the parking lot and asked her to watch Anna in the car rather than disturbing her and took the elevator up to Homicide. As soon as the doors opened she heard yelling and knew why Montgomery had called her. Kate had completely lost it, probably because she was so tired.

"We have no leads, we lost our prime suspect, it's been a week and we haven't gotten them and at this rate we may never solve this!"

"Beckett," Ryan replied calmly, knowing she was tired and frustrated and that if he didn't yell back and make a bad situation worse she'd be better in the morning, "that's not our fault."

"It's everyone's fault! We should've been better detectives!"

"You should've had more coffee," Esposito muttered. It must've been instinctual because he cringed the moment it was out of his mouth.

She turned on him, eyes flashing, and Alexis rushed between them. "Kate, Kate, calm down. You have to go home."

"I have to finish this case," Kate snapped, glaring at the other detectives."

"You're no help to anybody if you murder somebody too. You need to sleep." Kate glared at her. Alexis didn't want to continue but she did anyways. "I know you're frustrated, and I know you want him to come home. But he's working, and Anna wants _you _to come home."

At the mention of her daughter, Kate deflated. "Fine." She grabbed her coat and purse and stalked into the elevator. Montgomery poked his head out of his office, where he'd evidently been hiding.

"Thanks, Alexis," he whispered. "She was getting scary."

"No problem," Alexis replied. "I'll make sure she stays home tomorrow."

He nodded gratefully then walked out to talk to the boys, who were the only ones left on the floor.

Kate had already collapsed against the back wall of the elevator when Alexis caught up with her. Kate had her head in her hands and looked the picture of complete frustration, not bothering to look up when Alexis hit the button and the elevator began to move.

"I—I'm sorry," Kate stuttered, mumbling into her palms. "I know I'm being unreasonable, but I'm just…so tired…" With the last two words she hit her head against the wall.

"That's why we're going home," Alexis said gently. "You need to sleep, and you need to see Anna. She's in the car, I asked Joni to watch her."

"I don't know how to be a good mom, I'm sorry," Kate whispered.

"You're an amazing mom," Alexis countered. "My mom was _never _around. I never really had a mom. As least Anna does. You just need to stop going all workaholic."

"I know," Kate sighed, dragging out the words. "But I just do, I go on autopilot and if something gets in my way I just sort of blow up."

The elevator ground to a stop at robbery, and Kate groaned and dropped her face once again into her hands. Alexis turned to glare at the robbery detectives who were waiting. "I'd appreciate it if you took the stairs."

They frowned but shrugged as Alexis let the door close. Once they were between floors she hit the button to stop it and crouched in front of Kate. "I know you miss him and that he leaves too much, but you're the only person to whom he always comes back."

"He comes back to you," Kate pointed out.

"It's not the same. I don't know what was wrong between my dad and my mom, but he's never really wanted her to come back."

"I remember like two months after he started shadowing me, he kept calling her a deep-fried twinkie."

Alexis looked at her quizzically.

Kate winced. "Don't ask."

"And Gina, they were fighting continuously, and then every time they even tried to get back together they'd end up fighting again. The only problem with you two, after being married four years and knowing each other for seven, you just miss each other a ton. It's either really sweet or really sickening."

Kate chuckled through her tears.

"See, there you go. Alrighty," Alexis finished, pulling her up. "Let's go see Anna."

She let the elevator continue, and it rode uninterrupted to the underground parking.

"What about—" Kate yawned; she was already falling asleep, "my car?"

"We can come get it later. You can't drive, I'm pretty sure you've been awake for a few days." Kate didn't bother responding; she slid into the passenger seat and immediately fell asleep.

Alexis shut the door and walked around the car. "Thanks, Joni," she called to the guard.

"No problem," Joni replied, waving as Alexis drove away.

At home, Alexis shook Kate awake gently. "Kate, you have to go upstairs, okay? I'll get Anna, you go sleep."

Kate nodded drowsily and walked upstairs. Alexis pulled Anna out of her carseat and followed. Through the past hour, Anna had remained sleeping. Alexis held her close in the chilly parking garage.

"Come on, baby," she whispered.

When they got upstairs, Kate had disappeared, hopefully into her room, so Alexis put Anna back in bed and shut the lights out. She closed the door and tiptoed across the hall to her dad's room. Kate was asleep on the (typically unmade) bed, still in her work clothes. Alexis pulled the covers over her and she didn't move. Her face had lost all the stress when she'd finally fallen asleep.

Alexis smiled sadly and left, situating herself in her old room and falling asleep, thinking about class the next day, how long it would take to get back to Princeton, if she was happy with the final products of the two paper due tomorrow, and most of all that her father needed to come home soon.

The blinding sun and the creak of the door woke Kate; she buried her head in the pillow. The bed dipped as someone sat down, but, half-asleep, she didn't have the presence of mind to see who it was.

The person rubbed her back for a minute, trying to wake her gently. She rolled her shoulders in an attempt to get them to stop. She groaned into the pillow. "It's too early," she complained. "Go away."

Far from letting her sleep, the person scooped her up and cradled her against himself. "And I thought you wanted me to come home." He rocked her gently. "Wake up, Kate, wake up."

She blinked her eyes open, wondering if she was dreaming. "Rick?" she asked, unsure whether or not to believe her eyes. "What are you doing here? I thought you were in Florida!"

"Well, I was, but Alexis called me and she sounded pretty distraught," he said, grinning. "What, you're not happy to see me?"

In response she threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly, unwilling to let him go again. She didn't have to tell him how much she missed him, how much she needed him, how relieved she was that he was home because he already knew, which she was grateful for—because sometimes words, once spoken, lose their meaning.

She kissed him for a minute before she pulled away but kept holding on, like he was the only thing preventing her from falling. She leaned against his warm chest. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"Alexis called you last night?"

"Yeah, she sounded pretty frustrated with me so I came home."

She winced. "Was this before or after I blew up at the boys down at the precinct?"

He glanced at her. "What?"

"Never mind."

He chuckled. "Okay…" he replied, making a mental note to ask Alexis what had happened. "Anyways, next week you, me, and Anna are going to go to the West Coast, got it? I only have one thing booked about every two days, so we should have lots of time for sight-seeing."

"But I—"

"No exceptions."

She smiled. She was still tired, but not quite so tired anymore. "Where is Anna now?"

"Alexis brought her to school on her way back to Princeton," Rick explained. "Now, she told me you need lots of sleep, so you stay here and sleep some more while I make some pancakes, and then I'll bring them up and we can feast on them because Montgomery told me to insist that you give your current case entirely to Ryan and Esposito and take the next two weeks off, got it?"

"Fine!" Kate laughed, already much happier than she'd been the night before. "Make pancakes and let me sleep then."

Rick grinned and set her back down, kissing her lightly. "I'll be back in a little!" he called, skipping down the stairs.

Kate shook her head, beaming happily and falling back into the pillows.

Rick was most certainly home.

**A/N: Hope you liked it! Let me know what you thought. (: **


End file.
